The Outcasts
by Spirare
Summary: Sometimes love is bigger than growing up in the confines of small town life.  See what life holds for Emmett and Edward with Bella at the reigns.  AH/OOC My Entry for Slash/\Backslash 2.0 contest.


**SLASH BACKSLASH ONE-SHOT CONTEST**

**Story Name: The Outcasts**

**Pen name: Spirare**

**Pairing: Edward/Emmett**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or it's characters. They belong to SM, who probably hates the things we do to them.**

**To see other entries in the "SLASH BACKSLASH" contest, please visit the C2:**

**htttp:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/c2/68069/3/0/1**

**Rated T for Terminally fluffy. Or Terrible. Maybe Towels. Whatever. You've been warned.**

**AN: Pre-read by the beautiful ****Tiffnificent** **and beta'd by the amazing ****BigRed****l****mp****.**

~!#$%^&*()_+

Emmett met Edward in the third grade. He was mesmerized by Edward's glowing green cat eyes and rust colored hair. Emmett had never met anyone that looked so much like a cat. But even in his Transformers tee and acid washed jeans, Emmett thought he _moved_ like a cat.

Even then, at nine years old, all Emmett wanted to do was nuzzle his little nose and purr into his neck. But boys didn't do that to other boys. Not here in Nowheresville, USA. His daddy had told him that once when he caught Emmett singing along to Boy George on MTV.

Nine year old boys couldn't do that, but nine year old Bella Swan could. On their first day of school, she marched right up to Edward with her long brown hair and mousy brown eyes and laid her head in the crook of his neck.

"You have cat eyes. I like you," she told him matter-of-factly. This was one of the things Emmett admired most about Bella. It was like she was born without a filter and just said and did whatever she wanted.

Edward, for the most part, looked terrified.

"I think you're scaring him, Bellybean." Emmett snickered.

"Emmett McCarty!" She yelled as she dislodged herself from the perfect boy with the green cat eyes and hit Emmett with her My Little Pony lunchbox. "If you ever call me Bellybean again, I will tell the whole school what my father caught you doing in the basement last summer!"

She would too and Emmett knew it.

"You do kinda look like a cat, dude." He told him.

Emmett half expected him to meow when he spoke, but Edward just crinkled up his nose in a very cat-like way and hit Emmett with his He-Man lunchbox.

The three of them were instant friends.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Bella didn't care that by the time they were in high school, the entire town had practically disowned them for being different.

And she made sure that everyone knew it.

In ninth grade, she broke Mike Newton's nose when she caught him making fun of Emmett, who happened to be built like a football player on steroids but rather preferred home economics to pigskins. And he was more feminine than anyone that large had a right to be.

In tenth grade, after years of unwanted and highly inappropriate advances toward Edward (who still wore Transformer tees and played both piano _and _video games with his cat-like dexterity) on behalf of the Fork's High School Spartan cheerleaders, Bella sneaked into the locker room and wrote WHORE in big, black Sharpie letters on the bloomers of every cheerleader. At the big game that night, the whole crowd laughed and pointed each time one of the girls flipped or jumped, revealing Bella's statement.

Bella had a way of making statements.

How she convinced Emmett and Edward to join in with her on the fuckery that would ensue during Senior Day, nobody ever really knew. But they would follow her anywhere. She was their glue.

Senior Day was a long-standing tradition in Fork's that started with an assembly on upcoming senior activities and then was followed by the school allowing the seniors to do pretty much whatever they wanted. As a junior, Bella wasn't going to stand for that.

Bella showed up to school that day and marched into the gym dressed in a Spartan cheerleading uniform. Not like the ones the actual cheerleaders wore. No, Bella stepped up on the stage during the senior assembly dressed straight out of Saturday Night Live.

Megaphone and all.

Emmett and Edward followed closely behind her, dressed normally, but as more than willing participants.

Emmett grabbed the megaphone first.

"Whose that Spartan in my teepee?" He yelled.

"It's me, it's me." Edward and Bella responded, dancing around the stage as they mimicked the real cheerleaders.

"I said, whose that Spartan in my teepee?" He asked again.

"It's me, it's me." They said a little louder.

"Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!" They taunted the crowd, while doing the cabbage patch. Not an easy thing to do.

"Fuck you, Fork's High!" Bella shouted into the megaphone. With a smirk, she bowed, flipped off the shocked seniors and taking her boys by the hand, skipped off stage.

They got three days suspension for that one.

But it was worth it.

~!#$%^&*()_+

By the time their senior year rolled around, Bella had become a legend and no one fucked with Edward or Emmett anymore.

Edward was grateful for that.

"We have got to get the fuck out of here," Bella proclaimed with a sigh, as she fell onto Emmett's bed.

But that was the problem.

"How do you suppose we do that, Bells?" Emmett asked as he kicked off his shoes and snuggled up to Bella on the bed. It was a fair question, Edward thought. _Nobody_ left Forks. It was almost if you were born here, there was some law that you had to get married here, have children here, and die here. Lather, rinse, repeat. It was rather disheartening.

But if anybody could get them out of Forks, Edward knew that Bella could. He carefully removed his shoes and joined his two favorite people on the bed.

"Okay. Go with me on this," Bella started as she jumped off the bed. Edward settled into Emmett, both of them knowing Bella had some kind of epic plan. Edward thought leaning against Emmett was like holding the world's best teddy bear. He blushed at his own thoughts but Emmett just wrapped his arm around his shoulders, holding him, holding the universe in place.

Bella began digging furiously through her bag, throwing books and papers and _girl things_ around the room, until she finally produced two folders. The first she handed to Edward who peeked inside and stared open-mouthed at his best friend.

"S-S-Stanford?" He stuttered, examining the application that Bella had all but filled out for him.

"Where else?" Bella shrugged. "Put those super cat-like skills to good use. I'm thinking you should be a surgeon."

"Me?" He asked as if it was the most absurd thought in the world. Honestly, she expected shy, geeky little Edward Cullen to become a surgeon? Edward's father would be proud, to say the least, but could he do it? Edward never did like his self-doubt.

He felt Emmett smile.

"That's perfect, baby." Emmett said and Edward couldn't help but hope the baby was meant for him. Once again, blushing at his own thoughts, Edward pulled himself upright and thought about it.

"What the hell am I going to do?" Emmett wondered aloud, breaking Edward's thoughts and earning a knowing smile from Bella.

"Simple," she said and handed him the other folder.

Emmett's eyes grew wide and he grinned.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"I mean, _really__,_ really, Bells?"

Edward was feeling left out. He leaned closer to look at the papers that Bella had given Emmett and understood. An application to the Culinary Arts school.

"It's perfect," Edward sighed as he stared into Emmett's sky blue eyes.

Emmett stared back and smiled. A real, light-up-the-world smile. A smile just for Edward. A smile that made time stop. For one brief moment Edward could imagine the way Emmett's lips would feel against his, he could almost feel the softness of Emmett's hands ghosting along his skin.

"Oh for the love of god!" Bella huffed, gathering her things. "Will you two just fuck and get it over with. And finish filling out those applications, they're due soon."

Bella also knew how to ruin the perfect moment.

"Wait," Emmett called out to her. "What are you going to do?"

"Who the fuck do you think is going to support you bitches while you go to school?"

"You're not going to college, Bella?" Edward asked, confused. Bella was smart. Like super-scary smart. She had scored near perfect on the SAT's and despite her, um, _behavioral problems_, as Principal Greene called them, she most likely could get a free ride to the college of her choice.

"What the fuck would I do in college? I swear Edward, your gorgeous and I'd totally fuck your brains out if you were into girls, but Jesus H. Christ! Like high school wasn't enough for me."

"But, Bella-" Edward began.

"What do you mean you'd fuck him if he were into girls?" Interrupted Emmett.

"Emmett, love," she whispered. "Open your eyes." She kissed his cheek and slung her backpack over her shoulder. Choosing to remain barefoot, she grabbed up her shoes and danced from the room with a wink to them.

Edward immediately felt uncomfortable under Emmett's gaze. He could see the questions burning in his eyes, questions Edward didn't know if he could, or should answer.

"What did she mean, Eddie?"

Edward hated to be called Eddie. His Aunt Carmen called him Eddie when she pinched his cheeks and smelled like too much Chanel No. 5 and Jack Daniels.

But coming from Emmett's mouth, the way his lips turned up and it rolled off his tongue, Edward supposed it was an okay nickname after all.

"I-I-I," Edward stammered. _I'm in love with you. "_I've got to go. See you tomorrow, Em."

~!#$%^&*()_+

Emmett stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. For the last couple months, Edward had done his best to avoid him. Emmett didn't understand. He tried to _open his eyes_, as Bella had suggested but he couldn't see anything other than Edward's stupid smirk, stupid face and stupid green cat eyes. And that did nothing to curb the desire he felt in the pit of his stomach, or the hard-on in his pants.

When Emmett got into the Culinary School, Edward smiled and told him he never doubted him, before running off to hang out with the stupid cheerleaders. Bella just shrugged and said that Edward had things to figure out.

When Edward got his acceptance letter to Stanford and gave Emmett a small one-armed hug, before rushing off to music class, Bella told him to give Edward some time.

And to make matters worse, which Emmett didn't believe possible, Bella had started disappearing for days at a time. When he asked her about it, she would just grin her I've-got-a-secret grin and change the subject.

Emmett wanted to hate Bella and her stupid, mysterious comments and disappearances.

With finals done and graduation just hours away, Emmett decided that he no longer cared for the color green.

As he stepped into the shower and began to stroke up and down his length, he decided that he never even liked the color..

And when he came, whispering Edward's name over and over like a chant, he decided that he absolutely, without out a doubt, hated the color green.

And cats.

He hated the color green. And he hated cats. And there was nothing anyone could do to change his mind.

When he arrived at school, his eyes quickly found Bella and Edward in a corner whispering and giggling. Well, Bella was giggling. Edward seriously did not look amused. Making his way through the gathering crowd of teachers, parents and students, he couldn't help but notice the way Edward seemed to blush at whatever Bella was saying.

He hated how stupid Edward blushed.

As soon as Bella spotted Emmett, she jumped into his arms.

"We are so out of this fucking place. Like tomorrow. Can you believe it?"

"Thank god!" Edward said, his green cat eyes twinkling. Emmett couldn't quite place it, but there was something there, just under the surface of those mesmerizing eyes.

"You still haven't told us where we're going to live. Or even how we can afford to live." Emmett accused her.

"It's a surprise," she whispered as she took her seat.

The lights dimmed and Angela Weber took the stage to give her valedictorian speech.

Bella would've been valedictorian that year if the Mr. Greene wasn't terrified that her entire speech would consist of the words, "fuck you."

As the night droned on, each speaker rambling about the future blah blah blah, and all Emmett could think about was the difference those stupid eyes of Edwards. One by one, the students received their diplomas. Parents took pictures and friends said goodbyes.

And off in a dimly lit corner, stood a little mousy girl, a boy with green cat eyes and oversized teddy bear. They didn't speak, or cry or do anything other than stare intently at each other.

And then something snapped into place with Emmett. It was like the world opened up and spilled her secrets to him.

Bella noticed and suddenly found herself very interested in the color of the bleachers.

Without a second thought or care in the world, Emmett pulled Edward into his arms. He softly ran his hands along Edward's cheeks and pressed his lips hard against Edward's somewhat shocked mouth.

Warm. Soft. Love.

It was insane, and reckless and quite possibly the stupidest thing Emmett had ever done, but as Edward's lips parted in anticipation and he let out a soft moan against Emmett's mouth. It was complete and total perfection.

This wasn't a goodbye. It was a hello. It was a nice to finally meet you. It was a beginning. It was a forever.

"Move along, now. Nothing to see here." Bella called out to the gawking crowd and Edward blushed. He pulled back slightly, but interlaced his fingers with Emmett's.

Emmett giggled at Bella's antics and once again found himself lost in Edward's eyes, an unspoken question passing between them.

"You …" Edward whispered. "I've been waiting for you."

Bella let them have their moment before dancing around them, singing some stupid song and flipping off Mike Newton.

"Praise whoever the fuck your supposed to praise," Bella sighed before pulling a silver flask from her gown and taking a swig. "Cheers, kids."

Edward stole another quick kiss and Emmett realized he had always loved cats and the color green and the way Edward blushed.

And neither of them cared when the whispers and taunts of their now ex-classmates followed them all the way out of the building.

~!#$%^&*()_+

What little belongings the three of them had, were quickly piled into the trunk of Edward's new silver Volvo. A graduation gift, despite what dear old daddy Cullen referred to as the "unfortunate coming-out incident."

Bella had planned the entire trip, estimating that with minimal stops and driving straight through, they could be in San Francisco in seventeen hours.

They were anxious to get the hell out of dodge, so to speak.

With Edward at the wheel for the first stretch, Emmett took shotgun and smiled happily when Edward's hand came to rest on his knee.

Bella laid in the back seat, her feet dancing against the windows and singing a song that sounded strangely like the Rice-a-Roni theme. Which Emmett found it to be very fitting.

They watched as Fork's faded behind them. And then Washington. And then Oregon.

It's was just after nine in the morning when Bella pulled up to a building and shut the car off.

"We're home lovers," she called, waking the boys from their sleep.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan. We're moving into 3A today." She told the older woman, as they stepped into the office.

"Ah, yes. I'm Ms. Armstrong. I just need you to sign the lease, dear."

"No problem," Bella told her as she began to sign the forms that had been laid out for her.

"And who are these handsome gentlemen?" Ms. Armstrong seemed to be a saucy old lady.

"These are my roommates. Edward and Emmett." Bella said, as Ms. Armstrong looked the two boys up and down.

Having had a satisfactory look, she said; "Well shit. All the cute ones are gay, aren't they?"

"Tell me about it," joked Bella.

"Wait! Bella Swan?" She seemed to search her mind for a moment. "_The_ Bella Swan?"

Bella blushed and cringed but nodded.

"Oh my god, you have to sign it! Will you sign it for me?"

"Of course," she replied, almost diplomatically.

Emmett and Edward were confused. As Ms. Armstrong disappeared into her office, they gave Bella their very best 'you've got some explaining to do' looks.

Bella thought it was quite comical.

When Ms. Armstrong returned, they had their answer.

Bella reached into her bag and pulled out a red pen, signing the book that Ms. Armstrong had laid down in front of her.

_Lions and Lambs by Isabella Swan._

Edward and Emmett gawked at her.

"Bella! Why didn't you tell us? You're like a real writer and stuff now. Is this why you kept disappearing?"

Bella nodded and rolled her eyes at that. As if you could consider poorly concealed Mary Sue's and brooding immortal virgins literature. For all her big talk, Bella herself, was a poorly concealed, brooding virgin. But she was proud that her first book had earned the three of them enough money to rent this dreary, run-down flat in the middle of the Haight and Emmett was determined to make the best of things.

"All right, so here it is. It's fully furnished, as you know. And it looks like your rent is paid up through the next six months." She dropped a key into Bella's hand and smiled. "You kids let me know if you need anything."

Bella shut the door and grinned. "Life begins now, gentlemen."

And it was at that moment that both Edward and Emmett realized that they were _hom__e._ In a place where they could entirely be themselves.

~!#$%^&*()_+

Emmett giggled as he put the finishing touches on the newly decorated bathroom. He hung the lavender monogrammed his and well, _his_ towels neatly, straightening the corners so they sat perfectly on the rack. This was one of his few splurges. The thread count on these towels was absolutely to die for.

Bella had given him a bit of money to decorate, and thanks in large part to Emmett's thriftiness, the apartment was now bright and welcoming.

Emmett was proud of himself. He made his way to the kitchen to check on dinner only to catch Bella trying to sneak a bite of the freshly made bread.

"Hands off dinner, Bells." He boomed from behind her.

"Holy fuck, Emmett!" She shouted, startled. "Are you sure you're not straight, because I would so marry you just for that fucking bread and lasagna."

The both giggled as Emmett set the table.

"So, tonight's the night, huh?" Bella asked him.

"Yep."

"First date. Wow. I should go get laid."

"Why not start out with meeting someone, Bella." He told her, seriously.

"Whatever. Save me some of this shit. And be good tonight."

Emmett chuckled and kissed Bella's cheek.

"And where are you going?"

"I'm off to do writer things. You know, smoke some pot, find my muse, fuck a biker," she called just as Edward entered the apartment.

"You're going to do what?" Asked Edward, but Bella just stuck out her tongue and shut the door behind her.

Edward set his backpack down, and followed his cat-like senses toward the wonderful smell.

"What is Bella going to do?" He asked Emmett, obviously concerned.

Emmett chuckled. "Writer things. She was kidding about the last part ... I think. How was orientation?"

"It was great!" Edward's excitement was palpable as he entered the kitchen giving Emmett a hug "Wow! This looks wonderful," he said.

"It will be ready pretty soon. I finished the bathroom, wanna see?"

Edward nodded and followed Emmett to their bathroom, taking in the rather feminine sight.

"Lavender, Emmett?" He questioned, crinkling his nose. Meow.

When Edward saw the dejected look on Emmett's face, he almost wanted to cry. He had caused that.

And he would make up for it.

Edward pressed Emmett against the bathroom wall and kissed him hungrily. Colors, towels and lasagna forgotten.

These touches were new. Foreign. Hands and mouths exploring, roaming.

Words and coherent thoughts became a thing of the past as they found new ways to touch each other.

In fact, if Edward could read Emmett's thoughts during the next hour of new territory, they would sound something like this: _Hard. Hot. Friction. Heat. Need. Want. More. Touch. Rub. Love. _Edward had found home in the simplicity of Emmett. He had found pleasure and he had found love.

"Mmmm," Emmett breathed as he came down from his high.

Edward nodded in agreement against his chest as he pulled down a towel from the rack to clean them up.

"These towels really are quite lovely, Em."

They smiled.

~~fin~~

**AN: Bella's little Spartan cheer is straight from SNL. Which I also do not own.**

**Okay, so be nice. That was my first attempt at anything remotely slash related. Also? My wonderful pre-reader, Tiffinicent has her own fic in this contest. It's called OPERATION: Breakup and you should totally check it out.**

**xoxo**


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